This special meeting was convened to consider and adopt the City of Newark's 2024 municipal budget, including amendments. The budget totaled $968,151,492.94, reflecting a 2.3–2.4% increase over the previous year. The council heard public testimony and ultimately voted unanimously (8-0) to adopt the budget as amended.
Good morning. Welcome to the special meeting of the Newark Municipal Council on Friday, September 27th, 2024. In accordance with New Jersey Law, adequate notice of this meeting has been provided to the Starledger, the Jersey Journal, and the public at large, establishing the date, time, and location of this meeting. Scott Roundtree. Present. Silva. Absent. President Crump. Present. Council President. Council President, Council members, we are on page four of the agenda resolutions. Sure. Good morning, Council President, Councilmembers Eric Pennington, uh business administrator. The administration is uh pleased to present to the council amendments to the uh budget and uh to seek obviously your approval to adopt the budget as amended. You have a list of the amendments, and I believe the uh budget chair has additional information with respect to uh information that you may have questions about are relevant uh to the budget. The budget has amended is in the uh this is listed on the agendas in the total amount of 968, 151 dollars uh 151,492 dollars and ninety-four cents, uh which is obviously the largest budget we have had. We're approaching a one billion dollar budget. There are some uh some of the amendments that the council asked for are included here, one of which is an additional one million plus for the uh for the library. There are a few significant additions. The police buildings are now online, and uh so as reflected in this budget, there are rents now that we're gonna have to pay on those uh budgets. We also got a 22 million dollar uh interest free loan from the state to offset some unanticipated expenses with respect to monies that we have to pay to the county. All that is reflected in this budget, and uh we are hopeful that you see that it's appropriate and that you will uh uh adopt it today. Thank you, Mr. B. Any questions? Uh Councilman Ramos. Uh thank you, Mr. President, and and then thank you, uh Mr. BA for summarizing some of the major changes. Um just a few questions. I know the state recently approved the city's budget, and uh part of what it what went to the state was um included some um significant increases in some revenue uh projections. Was that accepted by the state and their monitoring of our proposal and um from from from from the administration standpoint? Like how do you justify those proposed increases in revenue? Like have what's the basis for that? Well, we already know uh based on the added admitted that we have that there's a uh uh increase, assuming that the council certifies the budget, uh not council, I'm sorry, the county tax board certifies the budget of about 200 million dollars. Um that is largely due to the assessments of uh new properties that have come online and properties that have been adjusted, new warehouses and new buildings uh that are in the city. So we've done quite well in that regard. So the increase in in revenue projections are are attributed to you know the valuation or or or increases in property values and and the assessments that follow that. Increase in property values and new properties that are come online is about 53,000 lines uh of properties now that we have. Yes. You mentioned the the rents that are due for police or are you referencing the the academy? Yes, and what's that amount annualized amount that we have to pay for the development of the uh police academy and the that that that unique arrangement the city has? It's about ten million dollars. And that's over how many years is that? Oh my goodness, 25, I think. And we're also looking at the the ballistics lab is not included in in this year's budget, right? That's a new project that's gonna come before the council next year. No, that's included in this budget as well. Okay, and what's that amount? Uh about three million dollars.